The public employee federation AFSCME has released a television ad criticizing Rep. Chris Gibson for votes that “end” Medicare and “cut” Social Security.

The first point has been in heavy contention in Gibson’s run against Julian Schreibman, a Kingston attorney. Schreibman’s campaign has suggested the Republican incumbent from Kinderhook would hurt seniors by supporting a 2011 budget resolution authored by Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan.

That proposal, which Gibson has said he backed to spark a conversation about how to prolong the financial health of the federal insurance system, would have shifted care to a model where future seniors would get federal support to buy private insurance plans. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated it will increase costs by an average of $6,400; it does cap growth in program spending and spare it from insolvency.

The second point is not explicitly true. Gibson never directly voted for to reduce Social Security benefits, but an AFSCME aide cited testimony from an AARP official saying support for plans to quickly force the federal budget into balance would inevitably prompt Social Security cuts.

That AFSCME would spend money — at least $100,000 — in the district is an indication that Schreibman’s candidacy has some legs. An independent poll last month showed Gibson leading by 16 points, but Democrats released a poll this week — which lacked details about its sample — that showed Schreibman trailing by two points.

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